Monday, March 30, 2009

Two Green thumbs?

The Bluest skies you’ve ever seen are in Seattle.”(Perry Como; Seattle, 1969)

Whale, not really!So does this mean a change of scenery is immanent? As in years past, I recall making calendars to count down the days until the first Grand Prix of the new season would begin... While wading thru the bleakness of the Winter Olympics, better known as Winter testing, which the FIA has dastardly cut proportionally over the past several years, although the in season testing ban should theoretically cause the drivers to log more track time on Friday’s this year.

Thus having waited with great abandon for this weekend’s season opening Formula 1 race Down Under, instead I partook in two days attendance at Seattle’s 2nd Annual Green Festival, which I must say was overly packed and very well attended... Something to do with us Northwest “Tree Huggers?” And thus I set the commands of my shiny new Comcast Box to record the week’s drama in Albert Park to my trusty ‘Ol VCR... Which is much easier to program then today’s DVR’s for Mwah, but that’s a whole ‘nother conversation, eh?

Saturday evening Mary Ellen & I attended the Electric Vehicles 101 presentation hosted by two very entertaining gentlemen of the Seattle Electric Vehicles Association.(SEVA) As the main speaker Daniel Davids, being 65 years old has spent 29yrs living, breathing, eating, dreaming Electric vehicles, while his “junior” partner Steve Lough (54yrs) has a 40 year history with Electric vehicles... Including numerous drag racing victories, while Davids is featured in the 2 SCREAM to 60 Youtube video; yet, it was interesting to hear Lough actually suggest that one wait 3-5yrs to purchase an Electric vehicle as opposed to running out and buying one today, as there’ll seemingly be an explosion of these vehicles being produced by our major Automobile manufacturers then... Since if you wish to convert a vehicle today it’ll potentially set you back somewhere between $12-15,000 and there’s NO guarantee you’ll end up with a good conversion. Although I found it interesting how they scoffed at GM’s much ballyhooed Volt... Because it’s NOT a true 100% Electric vehicle? Ironically I found this a most enjoyable lecture, although it seemingly contradicts my interest in Formula 1 and IndyCars...

On Sunday, we attended four speakers hour long presentations, which were most dynamic, inspiring and devoid of the mainstream “fluff” that we’re subjugated to 24/7, as we listened to Amy Goodman, John Perkins, Clifford Pichot III and Laura Flanders respectively.

Amy Goodman touched upon the fact that this weekend marked the 20th Anniversary of the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill in Prince William Sound, of which the Herring have never returned too... And of the initial 22,000 plaintiffs who filed against the world’s largest Petroleum Company, 6,000 have died while Exxon has kept these lawsuits in litigation...

John Perkins spoke upon what would happen if we refocused our Corporate priorities, while Pichot divulged his “Happo-Damno” philosophy; which is the measuring of Happiness vs. Damage environmentally... And Laura Flanders spoke to the demise of our legacy Newspaper industry as the loss of these jobs like most, once lost will never come back and how this is a travesty for each cities morale fiber... Noting how a two time Pulitzer Prize winning journalist of our just castrated Seattle Post Intelligencer has suddenly found himself unemployed! As perhaps (if you’re still reading this) you’ve guessed by now that the Green Festival is geared towards the world’s future Sustainability...

And thus I found it ironic that while attending the Green Festival this weekend, which also happens to coincide with the 10th Anniversary of the WTO Demonstrations in Seattle... Two of the world’s largest Automobile manufacturers chief executive officers were being sacked... As Rick Wagner, General Motors Head Honcho resigned from his post in the wake of further Government assistance, as under Wagner’s stewardship, GM’s United States market share has declined from 33.2% to 18.8%, while the company’s stock price has devalued over $50.00 per share.

Meanwhile, Christian Streiff, the embattled leader of PSA Peugeot-Citroen,, was fired from his post, as one of France’s “Big Two:” Peugeot and Renault SA struggle to survive in the Global economy on the back of a $7.5 billion Euro ($9.8b USD) 5yr (Rescue plan) Economic aide package, as Peugeot, France’s largest car maker has suffered a $343 million Euro net loss for 2008.

Meanwhile, as in previous rants about the intrusion of electronic media... I am currently unable to scour le internets or newspapers, open my email or listen to my voicemail in fear of having the results of the Australian Grand Prix divulged prior to my rewinding of the Memorex and watching Qualifying and the BLOODY RACE! As I found it even more ironic that all of the Fosters which was apparently on sale this weekend had disappeared off of the shelves of my local grocery store... Crikey’s Mates!

So, will Nico secure his first Formula 1 pole position? Or will the newly reconstituted Brawn GP do the unthinkable and lockout the front row? Or perhaps either Jarno Trulli or Timo Glock score Toyota’s long awaited inaugural Grand Prix victory? SHEISA! I’d better go watch the tape, eh?